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Breathing Trouble

01/27/2011

Question:

My mom has trouble breathing this problem has been going on for about three years if she walks from the kitchen to the living room she is out of breath and exhausted she can`t go up stairs she has had different test for her heart and her heart is fine she has had lung functioning test and still all of her test are still saying normal lung function she has never smoked she coughs a lot and is always fatigued she is on kidney dialysis has been for almost 7 years now she need help I`ve taken her to several different doctors and still no luck my mom cant breath or stand for long periods of time.

Answer:

Shortness of breath and fatigue can be caused by many different conditions including different types of heart disease, lung disease, and metabolic diseases. 

Some of the common tests done in the evaluation of a person with chronic shortness of breath include a chest x-ray, a cardiac echogram, pulmonary function tests, a blood count (to look for anemia), a blood electrolyte panel, and a thyroid hormone test. If these studies do not give us an answer, the next test is often a “cardiopulmonary stress test” during which a patient rides a bicycle while having different lung functions and cardiac functions measured. Often a pulmonologist is in a position to help coordinate these different types of tests.

For more information:

Go to the Pulmonary Fibrosis health topic.